1. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Options and Advocacy for McHenry County Who We Are and What We Do

2. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. A brief history… Options & Advocacy was incorporated in 1991 We opened our doors in 1994 providing pre-admission screening and case coordination services to people with developmental disabilities We had 2 full-time and 2 part-time staff Our initial budget was $125,889

3. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. We grew… Bogard Service Coordination Home Based Support WRAP Service Coordination for children with severe mental illness Waiver Case Coordination, now known as ISSA (Individual Services and Support Advocacy) Project Success

4. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. July 2000… The addition of the Child & Family Connections program expanded our staff and the focus of Options and Advocacy to provide services through the lifespan Child & Family Connections is the State of Illinois Early Intervention System for infants and children under the age of three

5. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Today… We have 28 employees Our budget is $1,200,000 We “own” our building We have 4 programs – Child & Family Connections for children under 3yrs with delays, Community Access Coordination 3yrs+ with life long developmental disabilities, Epilepsy Support Program & the Autism Support Program- any age with those specific diagnosis.

6. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. The mission of Options and Advocacy is to build resiliency in the individuals and families that we serve.

7. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Child and Family Connections (CFC) System point of entry to the state early intervention system For children experiencing a delay in their development or who have a diagnosis known to lead to developmental delays Families can access up to 16 different services Services are delivered in natural environments Last year we served 1,400 children in this program

8. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. CFC Goals Families learn to integrate activities that promote typical development Families learn how to effectively participate in the development of service plans Early intervention services diminish the need for school based interventions

9. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Community Access Coordination (CAC) Educational Advocacy –Provided to those families who need help in accessing services within the school system –Promotes positive relationships between families and school districts –Models effective communication

10. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Bogard Service Coordination Serves members of the Bogard class action lawsuit which provides services for individuals who live in a variety of settings Currently our 3 remaining individuals all live in nursing homes

11. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Pre-Admission Screening Determines potential eligibility for state funded services Provides screening for individuals hospitalized or placed in nursing homes for short term rehabilitation Individuals found eligible are given a variety of service options

12. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Individual Services and Support Advocacy (ISSA) Monitors health, safety and services for people in residential and community settings Participates in the development of individual service plans Annually completes state database information or PUNS (Priority of Urgency of Need for Services) Currently 260 people are in this program

13. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Current Challenges… Access to state funds for all supports, community and residential, is limited to crisis situations Young adults transitioning from special education to no services No increase in funding to address rising cost of doing business

14. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. At Options & Advocacy… Every individual service plan developed for our clients is person centered This plan promotes self advocacy, self direction, community inclusion and choice We believe that every individual has the right to live, work and play in the community of his or her choice

15. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Community Connections… McHenry County Behavioral Healthcare Network McHenry County Local Interagency Council Child & Adolescent Local Area Network Human Service Network Illinois ARC McHenry County Transition Committee Illinois Association of Independent Service Coordination Agencies

16. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Extra! Parent Conference Play groups in collaboration with NISRA Monthly Developmental Screenings Monthly Hearing Screenings Vision Screenings Holiday Party for CFC Families Community training opportunities for professionals Holiday gifts for our families experiencing financial challenges Sibshops Support Groups

17. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Our Challenges… Illinois ranked 51 st in how it supports persons with disabilities Fee for service environment Recruiting and retaining quality staff Increased demand for services Diminishing resources Competition for public fundraising dollars

18. It is the mission of Options and Advocacy to enhance and protect the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Strengths… Knowledgeable and dedicated staff Supportive Board of Directors Collaborative Community Relationships